Williamsburg, KY – After eight seasons at the helm where he compiled a 50-31 career record, University of the Cumberlands head football coach Matt Rhymer has stepped down, Athletic Director Chris Kraftick announced Friday.  Defensive Coordinator Tony Lambert has been tabbed as the interim head coach as the Patriots coaching search gets underway.

"I can't thank Cumberlands enough for the opportunity to lead this program over this eight-year journey," said Rhymer.  "The relationships that I have made in that time have been most special, and I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish.  UC has changed my life in all regards and Cumberlands will always be a special place."

Rhymer led the Patriots to a .617 winning percentage and six winning seasons, both of which are ranked second in program history. UC went 30-20 in conference games for a .600 winning percentage over his tenure. Cumberlands is coming off of five consecutive winning seasons that include berths in the NAIA playoffs during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.  In 2019, Coach Rhymer led the Patriots to a 28-24 road win over seventh-ranked Keiser to advance to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Playoffs. 

"I want to thank Coach Rhymer not only for his eight years as the Patriots Head Coach but also for his time as an assistant coach and student-athlete in our football program," said Kraftick.  "Matt's love for our institution and football program is unmatched and we wish him, Jessica, and the boys all the best moving forward."

Under Coach Rhymer's guidance, the Patriots saw success both on the field and in the classroom.  UC has had five NAIA All-Americans, two Mid-South Conference Offensive Players of the Year (Adam Craig '15; Milton Shelton '18), an MSC Freshman of the Year (Martize Smith '19), and the 2019 MSC Defensive Player of the Year (Tyler Pendleton '19).  Cumberlands had has 32 MSC First Team All-Conference selections and 39 MSC Second Team All-Conference honorees over the past eight seasons.

In addition to the success on the field, Coach Rhymer squad excelled in the classroom with 52 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 156 MSC Academic All-Conference selections. UC placed at least 20 players on the academic all-conference list four times, including having a program-high 26 honorees three different seasons.  The Patriots have also garnered ten CoSIDA Academic All-District selections and four CoSIDA Academic All-America's. 

Prior to taking the reins in 2014 Rhymer served as an Assistant Coach as well as a Graduate Assistant at UC.  Rhymer graduated from Cumberlands in 2007 with a degree in Public Health after playing four seasons for the Patriots.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter- @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, YouTube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.